Harvey Weinstein Turns Himself in to Authorities
On Friday, May 25th, one of Hollywood’s most notorious sexual predators surrendered to just a few of the copious allegations against him. After several months of investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and the NYPD, and upwards of 80 women to back the claims of his misconduct, Weinstein has finally landed in court.
The 66-year-old former co-chairman of The Weinstein Company was arraigned on charges of first- and third-degree rape and committing a criminal sexual act in the first degree. The charges are the result of a joint investigation between the Manhattan DA’s office and police, and they derive from incidents with two separate women in 2013 and 2004.
Weinstein’s bond has been set to $10 million, and he’ll be required to wear a GPS monitoring system. He can only travel within New York state or Connecticut, and his passport has been confiscated.
“We intend to move very quickly to dismiss these charges,” said Benjamin Brafman, Weinstein’s lawyer, “We believe that they are constitutionally flawed. We believe that they are not factually supported by the evidence, and we believe that at the end of the process Mr. Weinstein will be exonerated.”
However, the grand jury will continue to hear testimony in the case of the state, and at least four women are expected to testify, which will likely yield more charges to Weinstein. He is also still under criminal investigation in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and London, all in relation to sexual assault allegations.
